W-Golf In Fourth At Anteater Invite
COTO de CAZA, Calif.-The University of Colorado women's golf team's improved 14 strokes from its first to second round here Tuesday, as CU carded a season high first round 322, but rebounded for a second round 308 and with a two-round total 630, sit with sole possession of fourth place in the Anteater Invitational.
The Buffs' first round score is the slowest start to a tournament since carding a first round 344 in last year's Bay Area Classic. Their second-round effort was the tournament's second lowest second round score behind Boise State's 305 and the biggest first-to-second loop jump of the season, following last week's 20 stroke improvement.
"We need to have better first rounds," said head coach Anne Kelly. "You can't start a tournament the way we did and expect to dig ourselves out of it. I was glad to see us play a much better second round."
Host UC-Irvine leads the 10-team field, the smallest field the Buffs have faced in almost two years. The Anteaters carded a two-round 603, a comfortable eight stroke lead over Boise State (611) which is separated by six strokes to Colorado State (617) and Colorado (630). A mere 10 strokes separates the fourth through seventh-place teams. Boise State's Ashley Hogg leads the field with a 3-over 147, a single stroke ahead of UCI's Angela Won (148).
Fighting her driver for a second straight tournament, Hannah Hoch's first-round 78 improved to a 74 in the second. The sophomore is the lone Buff in the top-10, in ninth place with a 36-hole 152 scorecard on the Coto de Caza Country Club South Course. Maria Persson-Gulda had a strong second-round comeback as well, as the junior tied a season high 83 over the first loop before improving nine strokes in the second for a 74, nearly one stroke better than her season second round average for a share of 19th place.
"It was a tough first round and it took a long time to play the course. This is a course where if you hit the ball off line, you're either in a hazard or you're out of bounds," explained Kelly. "This is not an easy course."
A week after turning in a team-low tournament, Allison Rella was just a 6-over par 78 after the first round, but forced Kelly to count an 81 in the team score sans the second. Rella's two round total 159 has the senior sitting in a tie for 21st place.
Jess Ellis also fell victim to the 6,061-yard layout and warm conditions just outside Irvine, Calif. In just her fourth tournament of the season, second this spring, she had to add an 82 to the team's first round score before turning in a career-tying high 87 on the second. She's currently in 50th place after Tuesday.
Coming into this week's tournament holding a 79.8 first round average, redshirt freshman Lindsay Senger carded a career high 89 in her first loop but had a career, and team season best first-to-second round improvement, improving 10 strokes to end the day in a four-way share of 46th place with a 168.
The third and final round will tee off with a 9:30 a.m. (MT) shotgun start Wednesday. It will be the Buffs' final round for almost two weeks, as Spring Break begins March 21st.
ANTEATER INVITATIONAL
Coto de Caza Country Club (Coto de Caza, Calif.)
TEAM SCORES
1. UC-Irvine...................... 295-308- 603
2. Boise State.................. 306-305- 611
3. Colorado State.............. 304-313- 617
4. COLORADO................. 322-308- 630
5. Long Beach State......... 315-317- 632
6. SW Missouri State........ 321-317- 638
7. Grand Valley State........ 324-316- 640
8. Princeton..................... 317-327- 644
9. CSU-Northridge............. 351-336- 687
10. Monmouth.................... 376-355- 731
COLORADO PLAYERS
t9. Hannah Hoch............. 78-74- 152
t19. Maria Persson-Gulda.. 83-74- 157
t21. Allison Rella.............. 78-81- 159
t46. Lindsay Senger.......... 89-79- 168
50. Jessica Ellis.............. 82-87- 169